Vented rubber article



July 9, 1935.

R. B. DAY

VENTED RUBBER ARTICLE Original Filed Sept. 4, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ralph B.Uml

July 9, 1935. R. B. DAY

VENTED RUBBER ARTICLE Original Filel Sept. 4, 193i 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Juiy 9, 1935.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 iff. g

E L C I T YM AR DE .w BU .R Rm T N E V Original Filed Sept. 4, 1931 Patented July 9, 1935 A.

afss'ig'nrnents, to `Wingfoot fCorporation, Vlfilmin'gt'ong Del.'; a corporation of DelawareV i Originalapplication September 4, 1931,` Serial No.

Divided and this application August s1,iesaseriaiNacsLzoz Y y sfola'ims. (cpm-13) VThis invention relates to improvements rin rubs berarticles `and more particularly to pneumatic tires wherein fluid pressurejis utilized to expand .the tires while vin use on vehicles. 'Ihisapplication is ja division of mygapplication lSerial No. 561,122, led-September 4, 1931, and is :directed lin part -to the -article produced by-:the method vand apparatus y disclosed inthe above mentioned application'and in 'application Serial No. 510,101, filed January 2;-1, V193 Heretofore 'it has been customary in building .pneumatictires Vto provide a tire which,-when vmounted on `a -rim and inflated, is practicallyimf pervious to gases yand which will; not permit the escape of f any iiuid contained therein. Likewise,

yit has been customary to provide-an impervious rim for this impervious-tire, r'Ihe in iiation of this impervious tire is usually accomplished by means of a separate inatable inner tubedisposedthere- ,in or bymeans of an inner tube 4perrnanentlylsecured or formed integrally with the -inner wall of Athetire in -astructure known asfaA single ltubetirel lansing this impervious tire and rim on-a vehicle, numerous obstacles have lbeen encountered. .Forexampla there isja natural seepage yof thein-V 4lflating -fluidfthrough the inner tube and into the carcassof the tire, and the latter being impervious doesnot permit the-escape of this 'seeping fluid. `The impervious rim also prevents escape of this fluid and as a consequence, thejuid; permeates the cords of the carcass and tends to flow along .and throughthese 'cordsf-but as the fluid cannot escape through the relatively thick rubber Vsidewalls or tread portionfo-f the tire, it forms blisters .in the'rubberof the sidewalls and tread and frenquently causes blow-.outs at these points. Likewise, tubes occasionally have small holes, such1as pin holes therein, through which the fluid passes into the carcass and similar troubles occur.. Ihave'discovered that, ;if some meansfisprovided to permit fthe escape to the atmosphereV of uids contained within or entering into the carcass of thetire, orfto permit the escape of iiuids from thejstructure afterthey have seeped or leaked through .the tube Vand before they enter `the carcass, many, if notfall, ofthe troubles in;- cident to the la'ction `of Vsucll iiuids will be `inver#` come, andtresprovided witlrsuclfi means are herein referred to as vented tires. ,There'are many ways of venting a .tire,`such asby exposingthe cordsv or fibrous material ofthe carcass 'directly to the atmosphere, or by interposing additional pervious media between the lcarcass and the atmosphere, "thereby, indirectly venting the tire. A fewof the many ways are 'hereindescribed. 1 f Y L It will be apparent thatja vented tireeasily maybe obtained by first vulcanizing the tire `in `the usual manner and subsequentlyV venting the same, but Ihave ydiscovered anovel method `of and Vapparatus for vulcanizing pneumatic tires wherebya'tire when taken from the. vulcanizing mold, already is provided with ventingmeans,

.thus eliminating any subsequent necessity for venting the tire. vThis method and apparatus are fully -disclosed in said lapplications 'Serial Numbers 561,122 and 510,101, ffiled September 4, l1931 vand January 21, 1931, respectively.

Itis an object of this invention to provide a pneumatic tire in which the sidewalls andtread portion will not be subject toblist'er formations or blow-outs from the fluid within the tire.

lAnother' object is 'to provide a pneumatic `tire which "is :not impervious to iiuid Acontained within the tire, and which has leaked or seeped through the tube; i r

-IA further object is to provide apneumatic tire structure provided with novel means for venting thetire` Other objects and advantages will become fap'- paren-t from the following description.

In the drawings, I have shown several embodiments of the invention; in this'showing, l

Fig, 1 isacross section of a tire illustrating a vulcanized vented tire mounted `on a rim;

Fig. 2 `isa Yfragmentary perspective VView ein` bodying 'a modied form'of vented tire;

Fig. 3 is a cross section of half a 'tir'e showing a modied form ofventedtire; j

FigsA and 5 are Vfragmentary perspective views each embodying a modied 'form ofv vented tirer;

Figs, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are 'cross sections of half a tire, each shovvnga modied'form of. vented tire;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are fragmentary Aperspective views, -each showing a' modified form of vented tire; l

Y Fig.Y 13 is a cross section of half a tire embodying a modified form` of vente'd tire; and Fig. 14 is aside elevation of aportion of the tire -shownin Fig.gl3. 1

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the numeral 33 indicates a tire Vas a whole of the usualconstruction, preferably vulcanized by the method and apparatus described in my aforesaid applications, wherein tubularneedles or the like extend from the cords of the tire to permit bleed'- ing of the tire during vulcanization. The numeral Mindicates one or more-of the `openings left inthe tire, after the needles have been 'removed therefrom after vulcanization, thereby providing one or more passageways between the cords of the tire and the atmosphere to vent fluids from the carcass. If desired, additional openings such as indicated at 35, also may be provided in the tire extending substantially through the sidewalls thereof, but the provision of these latter openings is not essential.

The tire 33 is provided with an inflated inner tube 36 which may be separable therefrom or which may be formed as an integral part thereof. A conventional valve 31 is carried by the inner tube and is secured in proper position in a rim 38 provided with the usual bead retaining flanges 39, whereby the tire may be mounted in the rim in the usual manner. y

The tire disclosed in Fig. 1 is aV vented tire as long as the openings 34, and 35 if used, are above the flanges 39 whereby fluids, which seep through the tube 36 or which may leak there-- through from pin holes or the like, may pass along the cords of the carcass and out of the tire through the vent openings. In this manner, it will be apparent that the formation of blisters in the sidewall or tread and consequent blow-outs are prevented because thefuid is not permitted to remain in the carcass.Y

In connection with the venting of tires, it will be obvious that a vented tire of the type disclosed in Fig. 1 need not be produced in accordance with the method and apparatus disclosed in my aforesaid applications, but a tire produced in any manner, may have one ormore openings similar to the openings 34 and 35 punched therein by means of a small awl or drill and as long as the openings are above the flanges 39, such-a tire will be a vented tire, within the scope of this 1nvention. Moreover, it will be apparent that, if a rim of the type illustrated in the copending application of B. Darrow, Serial No. 571,728 is used, the tire need not be vented above the flange, but may be vented at any point which will permit communication with one or more of the openings in said rim.

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated a tire 49 of substantially standard construction, preferably vulcanized in accordance with the method and apparatus illustrated in my aforesaid applications in the embodiment thereof, in which the bleeding of the tire during vulcanization is accomplished by means of a pervious chafer strip 25. This chafer strip is allowed to remain in place after the tire is vulcanized and it will be obvious that as long as the end of the strip is permitted to extend above the flange 39, the fluids heretofore contained within the carcass will be vented therefrom by passing outwardly through the strip.

It readily will be appreciated that vented tires can be obtained in numerous ways other than by the methods and apparatus disclosed in my aforesaid applications, and in Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive, I have illustrated various ways in which this can be accomplished by directly or indirectly exposing the cordsof the fabric plies to the atmosphere. For example, in Fig. 3, I have illustrated means for venting the carcass without providing an opening therein which comprises embedding one or more cords 4I of fibrous permeable material in the sidewall of the tire, one end being in communication with the cords of the carcass land the other end with the atmosphere. As shown, the cord or cords 4| preferably are located acacent and slightly above the flange 39, but it will be apparent that the cord may be located at substantially any point that will permit communication with the atmosphere. Obviously, fluid will pass out of the carcass through the cords 4 I.

In Fig. 4, I have shown means for venting a tire 43 which comprises forming a groove 44 in the sidewall thereof which is deep enough to expose the cords of the outer ply of fabric to the atmosphere and thus permit venting through this groove. If desired, this groove may extend entirely around the periphery of the sidewall of the tire.

Fig. 5 illustrates a piece of permeable fabric 45 embedded in the sidewall of the tire 46, preferably directly beneath the usual number plate, which fabric engages the cords of the outer ply of the carcass whereby when the number plate is removed the outer surface of the fabric 45 will communicate with the atmosphere and fluid may pass from the cords of the carcass through the fabric 45 to the atmosphere. It will be apparent, however, that the strip of fabric 45 may be v of a much greater width than shown in Fig. 5 and, if desired, may extend around the peripheryV of the sidewall of the tire. In fact, this fabric strip as well as the groove shown in Fig. 4, maybe 1ocated any place on the tire which will permit communication with the atmosphere.

Occasionally fluid will break through the thin strip of rubber compound 41 located between the outer ply of the tire 48 and the breaker strip 49, illustrated in Fig. 6, to the breaker strip, and has diculty inreturning to the cords of the plies whereby it may be bled from the carcass.- Ac'- cordingly, in such cases, I may provide an opening 50 communicating between the breaker strip and the interior of the tire and passing adjacent the cords of the fabric plies whereby suchiluids may pass downwardly and out of the carcass through the openings 34 and 35, or any other suitable venting means.

The same result accomplished by the structure in Fig. 6 also may be accomplished by the structure in Fig. 7 wherein a cord 5l or the like, of fibrous, permeable 'material is embedded in the carcass between the interior of the tire and the breaker strip 49, passing adjacent the cords of the fabric plies. Obviously uids in the breaker strip will be conducted to the cords of the Ypliers and pass out of the tire in the instance through the openings 34 and 35.

Likewise, fluid may be conducted from the breaker strip 49 by means of one or more transversely extending cords 52 of fibrous, permeable material, which are contiguous to the cords of the breaker strip and communicate near their ends with the cords of the plies as indicated at 53 in Fig. 8. Fluids will pass along the cords 52 into the cords of the carcass and in this instance pass out through the openings 34 and 35.

. In order to demonstrate that a tire can be vented without directly exposing its cords vto the atmosphere, Fig. 9 illustrates one or more openings 54 extending through the sidewall or other suitable portiorrof the tire, but not communicating with the cords thereof. However, a thin membrane or partition 55 of rubber is left between the i cords of the outer ply and the atmosphere whereby the fluid, when attempting to find an outlet, will puncture through the membrane and thus escape from the carcass.

In the previous embodiments` of the invention, the venting of the tire has been accomplished by exposing a portion of the cords of the carcass to the atmosphere in some suitable manner. In Figs. 10, 11 and 12, I have shown vented tires which may or may'nothave their cords exposed to the atmosphere and in which venting is accomplished by the passage of fluids from the interior of the tires, around the beads and over the rim flanges, or by the puncturing of the fluids through the layer of rubber surroundingrthe beads and over the rim flanges. Fig. 10 shows a tire 56 of the usual construction provided with one or more ridges 5l extending transversely of the beads or wholly or partially across the bottom ofl the beads and up the sidewall of the tire a sufficient distance to extend beyond the rim flange. In this Y embodiment of the' invention, seeping iluids and the like will pass from the interior of theV tire under the beads and/or puncture from the car- Vcass through the thin layer of rubber surrounding the beads and along the small passages formed at the sides of the ridges 51 to the atmosphere.

As shown in Fig. 11, substantially the same re-` In Fig. 12, I have shown a tire provided withone or more knurled or roughened portions 59 extending in the same manner as the ridgesand grooves previously described whereby a plurality of small intercommunicating passageways will be provided around the beads and sidewall to vent the tire.

Instead of using an integral chafer on the tire, as illustrated in Fig. 2, I may secure one ormore pieces of permeable fabric to the tire adjacent the beads, which fabric communicates with the cords of the tire adjacent the bead portion and extends above the rim flange whereby iluid may pass through this fabric to vent the tire, as illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14.

It is believed to be apparent that I have provided a novel pneumatic tire and means for vent- 1. A vulcanized pneumatic tire including side- Y walls and bead portions, a ridge arranged directly on at least one of said sidewalls and extendlng beneath the yadjacent bead portion whereby to provide passageways on each side of said ridge between the interior of the tire and the atmosphere when the tire is mounted on a support.

2. In a vulcanized pneumatic tire including sidewalls and bead portions, one or more ridges arranged directly on at least one of said sidewalls and having its inner end extending at least partially beneath the heel of the adjacent bead portion while its outer end extends into the atmosphere, whereby to provide a passageway on each side of each of said ridges for bleeding fluids from within the tire carcass.

V3. In a unit comprising an inflated tire and tube and a rim, said tireincluding sidewalls and bead portions and said rim including tire retaining flanges, one or more ridges arranged directly on at least one of said sidewalls, the outer end of said ridge or ridges extending beyond the adjacent rim Vflange and the inner end thereof extending at least to the heel of theadjacent bead, whereby to provide a passageway on each side of each of said ridges for bleeding iluids from within the tire carcass. j

. RALPH B. DAY. 

